AI receptionist alternatives compared: Smith.ai, Ruby, Goodcall, Rosie and Dialzara
If you want a person on every call, a live service like Ruby or Smith.ai’s receptionists costs a few hundred dollars a month for a set number of calls or minutes. If most of your callers ask the same questions and want to book, an AI receptionist like Goodcall, Rosie, Dialzara or Maurie AI costs far less. Maurie AI is the one that also gives you the CRM, website chat, inbox, quotes and payments in the same account.
Side by side (November 2026)
| Service | Who answers | Starting price | Extra usage | Booking | Trial and contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maurie AI | AI | $49/mo for 100 minutes, on any plan including Free | $0.30 a minute, up to a limit you set | Google Calendar, Starter plan and up | 10 free test minutes in the browser; monthly, cancel any time |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | AI, with live agents as a per-call add-on | Free for 25 calls/mo; Pro $150/mo for 75 calls | $3.00 a call on Free | AI scheduling (Calendly and others) | Free tier; month to month, no setup fee |
| Smith.ai receptionists | People | $300/mo for 30 calls | $11.50 a call | Booking is a $1.50-a-call add-on | 30-day money-back guarantee; no setup fee |
| Ruby | People (AI features included) | $250/mo for 50 receptionist minutes | Not listed | Scheduling included | No setup or onboarding fees |
| Goodcall | AI | $79/mo for 100 unique callers | 79¢ per extra caller | Google Calendar; CRM via Zapier | Free demo agent; month to month, no setup fee |
| Rosie | AI | $49/mo for 250 minutes | Not shown | Calendar booking from the $149 plan | 7-day free trial; cancel any time |
| Dialzara | AI | $29/mo for 60 minutes | $0.48 a minute | Calendar sync from the $99 plan; CRM via Make/Zapier | 7 days free; no setup fees |
Prices as listed on each company’s own pricing page on November 9, 2026 (Dialzara checked again November 12):Smith.ai, Smith.ai AI receptionist, Ruby, Goodcall, Rosie, Dialzara, Maurie AI. Plans count different things (calls, unique callers or minutes), so each is shown in its own unit. Check their sites for today’s prices.
Smith.ai
Offers both an AI receptionist and live receptionists. Good for businesses that want AI first with the option of a person on some calls. Keep in mind: the live plans are priced per call ($300 for 30 calls), and extras like booking and recording are per-call add-ons. See Maurie AI vs Smith.ai.
Ruby
Live virtual receptionists, with AI features included in every plan. Good for businesses where every caller should talk to a person, like law offices or high-end services. Keep in mind: plans are priced by receptionist minutes, from $250 a month for 50 minutes. See Maurie AI vs Ruby.
Goodcall
An AI agent priced by unique callers per month instead of minutes. Good for businesses with many short calls from the same people. Keep in mind: CRM connections go through Zapier, and there is no free trial, only a demo agent. See Maurie AI vs Goodcall.
Rosie
An AI receptionist with a low starting price and a website chat widget. Good for solo owners who mainly need messages taken. Keep in mind: booking directly on your calendar and live transfers start on the $149 plan. See Maurie AI vs Rosie.
Dialzara
An AI receptionist with the lowest entry plan in this list. Good for low call volumes. Keep in mind: the $29 plan includes 60 minutes, extra minutes are $0.48 each, and calendar sync starts on the $99 plan. See Maurie AI vs Dialzara.
Maurie AI
An AI Phone Receptionist inside a full small-business platform. Good for owners who want the call, the contact, the follow-up and the payment in one place. The receptionist answers from your own website and FAQs, books into Google Calendar (Starter and up), transfers urgent calls during your hours, and saves every call to the built-in CRM with a recording, transcript and summary. The same account has a website chat agent, shared inbox, quotes with e-signature (Maurie Docs) and card payments (Maurie Pay). Keep in mind: US phone numbers only, and after hours it takes a message instead of transferring.
How to choose
- Do callers need a person? If yes on most calls, a live service (Ruby, Smith.ai receptionists). If not, an AI receptionist costs much less.
- Count your minutes or calls. Look at last month’s calls and their length, then compare in each plan’s own unit. How much does an AI receptionist cost? shows how.
- Check booking and transfers on the plan you’d buy, not the top plan.
- Think about what happens after the call. If you’d copy every caller into a CRM by hand, a receptionist with a built-in CRM saves that step.
Common questions
Is an AI receptionist as good as a person?
For common questions, booking and taking messages, yes for most callers. For calls that need judgment or a human touch, a live receptionist is still better. See AI receptionist vs. answering service.
Can I switch without changing my number?
Yes, with all of these. You forward your existing number. See How to forward your business calls.
Are these prices current?
They were read from each company’s site on November 9, 2026. Prices change, so check their pricing pages before you decide.